Oh, what might have been.
Posted on 12/29/2008 5:47:05 PM PST by KevinDavis
The United States has never fully subscribed to the Roman policy of providing its citizens with bread and circuses. The bread is just too expensive. Besides, poor people should be self-reliant enough to earn their own bread.
Circuses, though - they're different. They distract attention from governmental disorders that voters might not be so thrilled with. Say, wars, or ruining the environment, or corporate boondoggles.
And the greatest of these circuses has been the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. It began in response to the embarrassment of the Soviet Union putting up the first satellite. From there the agency went ballistic. We needed our own satellites, of course; we needed people out there in space; we needed rockets to the moon, to Mars, to Venus, to Mercury, to Jupiter, etc. Then we needed to get human explorers to the moon (and back).
(Excerpt) Read more at stamfordadvocate.com ...
This is the result of six billion years of evolution. Tonight, we have given the lie to gravity. We have reached for the stars... And you refuse celebrate? To hell with you! To hell with you!
A well run corporation would like to achieve a 10% return on investment, i.e. $1 spent and $.10 ROI. For every $1 spent NASA invested in Space the return has been $7.00!!! thats a 700% ROI.
I've survived a Heart attack and the biomedical advances that NASA promoted for the astronauts were taken by the likes of Dr DeBakey and produced a better medical outcome for the world, (and me!).
If we were to invest in a return to the moon and exploitation of extraterrestrial resources we could Green the planet and feed, clothe and benefit all of mankind. NO more wars but just peace and prosperity as we begin our trek to the stars!
You are right, here we sit in one fragile spot, one nest....
The powers that be do not want us off this world, they learned their lesson with the 13 colonies.
Government is about control, and if they fund our movement to the stars, they will eventually lose control.
You could fire everyone at NASA today and replace them with circus clowns and your comments wouldn't become less true or more true, so it's not much of an argument. They did accomplish great things back when very intelligent people, motivated by patriotism, went to work for NASA.
LOL! Yeah, if we just spend NASA’s 15 billion a year on more government programs it will solve all of societies problems.
Because it’s that last 15 that will do it, the ignorance is stunning........
How about if we spend 2-3 trillion on the space program so those idiots in congress can’t put it to other nefarious purposes?
“I’ve survived a Heart attack and the biomedical advances that NASA promoted for the astronauts were taken by the likes of Dr DeBakey and produced a better medical outcome for the world, (and me!).
If we were to invest in a return to the moon and exploitation of extraterrestrial resources we could Green the planet and feed, clothe and benefit all of mankind. NO more wars but just peace and prosperity as we begin our trek to the stars!”
Question #1: Do you think NASA invented the crack you are smoking?
Question #2: What does NASA have to do with space anymore that is relevant?
“your computer, your electronic, bluray, high def, cell phone world was all birthed by the space program and the moon program.”
You forgot Powerpoint slides. NASA excels at that now. In fact, Powerpoint slides have replaced actual research and space exploration, and technological advances.
Not everyone can be an astronaut, but hey, let’s face it, anyone can work at NASA and the Post Office, except at the Post Office, you get to pilot actual manned vehicles.
Stupid Question, ie. ad hominem!
Question #2: What does NASA have to do with space anymore that is relevant?
read Gingrich's book "Change'. He agrees that NASA has become bureaucratic and are not the leaders they once were. why does Virgin Galactic and the Soviet Space Program carry astronaut wannabees and NASA doesn't make room on the shuttle at $15 MIllion where Russia charges $20 Million?
Why is Space X and other commercial ventures moving forward? that's the American Way. The frontier and entrepeurial spirit has been our way since the birth of our nation.
Too Bad you don't get it. So what brand of bring me downers are you using?
“He agrees that NASA has become bureaucratic and are not the leaders they once were”
Humor comes in many forms. This is a perfect example of using understatement as a vehicle to convey humor. This statement is actually the Saturn V of understatement humor conveyance.
I know...
Do you think NASA went to the Moon completely on American ingenuity and patriotism? Did you know that architect of NASA’s success in the space program was a foreigner?
He wasn’t motivated by patriotism. He was motivated by a dream. Von Braun was a mercenary at best. He would have continued to work for Hitler had he been able to fund a space program (and not been thrown in a work camp...).
NASA has grown too big for it’s intended role. And it doesn’t help that it’s current administrator has a seriously deadly case of rocket envy for a truly great man.
Someone noticed that the emperor is buck neckid. ;)
Oh, what might have been.
some of the most amazing sounds I’ve ever heard, thanks to roving satellites capable of seeing and hearing RF/IRF, were of planets singing, each their own unique “tune”.
I vote NASA stays, if nothing else than for the ‘wow’ factor.
Yes, but that doesn't diminish the work that Americans did. The point was that past glory does not, by itself, legitimize current status. It's a logical fallacy to argue otherwise, and made even more illogical considering that someone who is as unqualified to be president as Obama or as strange as Bush is ultimately the overseer.
Who is today's genius like Von Braun who is working for NASA that justifies its further funding? Lunatics like James Hansen were given legitimacy by the affiliation.
related:
Time To Raise The Warning Flag On US Space Program
Spacedaily.com | Dec 29, 2008 | Staff Writers, Houston TX (SPX)
Posted on 12/29/2008 11:02:22 PM PST by tricky_k_1972
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2156004/posts
Michael Griffin considers himself von Braun. To his detriment. Griffin couldn’t shine von Braun’s shoes.
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